


lately, you've been on my mind

by lilydaydreams



Series: Post Season 4 Lucifer AU [1]
Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: Bad Advice, Established Chloe Decker/Lucifer Morningstar, F/F, F/M, Fluff, One Shot, Post-Season/Series 04, dan and chloe are healthy exes, dan misses charlotte, ella drank like one pina colada in canon so ive decided its her thing now thanks, established mazeve, eve goes to girls night now, lucifer is back from hell somehow, maybe 6 months after season 4 idk, please let dan and ella be happy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-20
Updated: 2019-12-20
Packaged: 2021-02-27 01:06:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21868798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilydaydreams/pseuds/lilydaydreams
Summary: Dan finally asks Ella on a date, and gets some helpful and not-so-helpful input from the team.
Relationships: Chloe Decker & Dan Espinoza, Chloe Decker/Lucifer Morningstar, Dan Espinoza & Lucifer Morningstar, Dan Espinoza & Mazikeen, Dan Espinoza/Ella Lopez, Eve/Mazikeen (Lucifer TV)
Series: Post Season 4 Lucifer AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1577749
Comments: 8
Kudos: 93





	lately, you've been on my mind

**Author's Note:**

> Lucifer is back from hell, somehow. We're not going to worry about how that happened because this is about Dan and Ella. Background established Deckerstar and Mazeve. Linda and Amenadiel aren't here because they're off doing something better than hanging out at the precinct but they're very happy, I promise.  
> Might write a stand alone/one shot sequel with more Ella/more Ella and Dan together because this ended up being more of a character study of Dan.  
> Title is a lyric from Harry Styles' "Adore You."

Dan had rehearsed the words in his head so many times he thought he might start saying them in ordinary conversation without meaning to. _Ella, will you go on a date with me?_

Truth be told, he’d been thinking about asking her out ever since their spontaneous, ill-advised (but still pretty damn good) bout of lab sex. He’d gone into work the next morning nervous, unsure of how to broach the subject, and they’d stammered words at each other until reaching some sort of hurried conclusion that they ought to respect professional boundaries, and he’d pushed it to the back of his mind for months. 

But every time she laughed at a dumb joke he made or shook her head reproachfully at his pudding cups―she said she’d never understand how he could keep eating the stuff after the whole poisoning incident, even if it was a different brand, and he always reassured her that he’d love pudding till his dying breath, as long as this type wouldn’t give him kidney stones―or her eyes lit up about a particular case she was working on, he forgot all about professional boundaries.

When he finally said the words, they didn’t come out as suavely as he’d have liked. “Ella, will you go on a date with me?” he asked nervously, scratching at the back of his neck. He spoke as soon as he let himself into her lab. He thought he might chicken out otherwise.

She looked dumbfounded and he realized he might have to elaborate a little. His next words were rambling and rushed. “I know we said we wanted to keep things professional but hell, there’s not many professional boundaries anyway what with everybody in this precinct seeming to date each other at one point or another, and we’ve already had sex, and also you’re one of my good friends and I just want to give it a try before we rule anything out because I like you a lot―”

Ella cut him off, walking around the lab bench to rest her hand on his. “Yes, Dan, I’ll go on a date with you.” She was beaming in the way that he’d always loved, and he was pleased that he was the one to put that expression on her face. “Drinks tomorrow after work?”

Dan nodded, trying to play it cool even though he knew he’d ruined his chances at cool for the next millennium. “Drinks. Uh, yeah. Yes. Good. Drinks tomorrow. I’ll text you.” He exited the lab before he could say anything else dorky or smile too big.

* * *

He wanted to get it right. He didn’t want to mess up his chance with one of the most amazing women he’d ever met, someone he’d grown to consider a good friend, and that meant asking for some outside advice. There was one person he knew he wanted to ask, and he didn’t think twice about it. After all, it was normal to ask your ex-wife for dating advice, right?

“Hmm, I don’t know, Dan,” Chloe said. He’d met her at her desk to ask for help, knowing he’d be able to talk to her in confidence since Ella had left on assignment for the afternoon. “I’m not sure I have any specific advice. It’s just drinks, right?”

“It’s not just drinks. I mean, it is, but I don’t want to screw this up, seriously.” He watched as Chloe tried to suppress an amused smile.

“Dan, I’m just proud of you for asking her out, finally. That’s great that you worked up the nerve,” Chloe said encouragingly.

“Wait, what do you mean, ‘finally?’ Am I that obvious?” Dan asked, suddenly worried he’d made a bigger fool of himself than he’d thought.

“No, no!” Chloe reassured him. “Just, um, Ella may have let some stuff slip at our last girls’ night.” At Dan’s raised eyebrows, she elaborated. “Um, you know. That you guys slept together.”

Dan made a strangled noise. “She told you about that?”

“Don’t be mad at her! She was really drunk, and Maze was the one who kept giving her pina coladas, so if anything, be mad at Maze.” Chloe’s tone was light, but from years of experience, Dan could tell she was worried she hadn’t kept her friend’s business confidential.

“No, it’s fine...I just didn’t know you knew. I’m not mad at her or anything at all.”

“Well, for what it’s worth,” Chloe said in a low voice as if she was letting him in on a secret, “everything she had to say was overwhelmingly positive. She was wondering if you were ever going to ask her on a real date.”

Dan laughed, relief washing over him. “Maybe I don’t have to worry about screwing this up after all.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that,” came a very familiar, very British voice from behind him. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I’ve found you’re quite prone to screwing things up, Daniel.”

“Lucifer!” said Chloe reproachfully, but she stood up to greet him anyway, her eyes bright. Ever since his return from his weird month-long vacation or whatever, they’d been together officially, and she’d been practically glowing every time he was around. Dan still couldn’t stand the guy, but he was glad Chloe was with someone who clearly made her so happy. Lucifer kissed her chastely on the cheek, for once showing some restraint.

“Thank you for your input that I don’t remember asking for, Lucifer, but what else is new,” Dan told him. “The last thing I need is your input on my personal life.”

“You have a personal life? Are you quite sure?” Lucifer quipped. Chloe swatted him gently on the arm.

“Very funny.”

“Dan has a date!” Chloe announced to Lucifer. “With Ella!”

 _So much for keeping things to ourselves_ , Dan thought. Oh well. He realized that with Chloe’s blossoming relationship with Lucifer, a lot of the things he told her would get back to that asshole anyway.

“You’re taking Ms. Lopez on a date?” Lucifer said with a hint of surprise. “Have fun and be safe. She deserves the world and if you do anything to hurt her, there will be hell to pay, quite literally. Are we clear?” He said it casually, with a smile, but with enough steel in his eyes for Dan to know just how serious he was.

“Uh, okay, man. I really care about her too. I just want to get this right,” Dan told him. “How do I make sure my date with her goes well? How do I make it special?”

Lucifer looked Dan up and down, surveying his jeans and leather jacket. In a tone that somehow sounded more snobbish than his usual, he asked, “Do you have anything better to wear than this current disaster of an ensemble?”

Before Dan could even protest, Chloe cut in. “C’mon, Lucifer, leave him alone. Anything you wear will be fine, Dan.”

“What’s up, bitches?” a voice called out, just as another voice rang out. “Hi, everyone!” Maze and Eve strode over to join the group around Chloe’s desk, hand in hand, Maze in head to toe leather and Eve in a flowy red sundress, as per usual.

“Great, my desk is the new hangout spot,” muttered Chloe under her breath, pulling out some paperwork.

“We just delivered a bounty,” Maze announced to the group. She sat herself down on the corner of Chloe’s desk, still holding onto Eve’s hand. “Unfortunately, they don’t have any more assignments for us yet, so now we’re just killing time.”

“You’re the bounty hunter, darling,” Eve reminded her. “I’m just here for emotional support because I have the day off.” Maze smiled at her, her eyes soft, and Dan remembered what he’d said to Maze in the car that day. _I’ve never seen you look at anyone like that before._

“Dan just asked Ella on a date,” Lucifer told the two of them, unprompted. 

“Huh,” said Maze. Eve squealed excitedly.

“We’re trying to give him advice, because he’s afraid it won’t go well,” Chloe elaborated. Dan shuffled his feet uncomfortably and attempted an awkward smile.

“That’s so cute!” Eve exclaimed. “This is the guy that Ella kept talking about at girls’ night, right, honey?” she said in an easily audible stage whisper to Maze.

“I can hear you,” said Dan.

“Yeah, I think so. I’m not sure. Ellen talks a lot, it can be hard to keep everything straight,” Maze answered her.

Eve turned her attention back to Dan. “I’m happy for the two of you. She seems like she really likes you, and Ella’s great. I mean, really. She’s so sweet, and her hair is so soft, and so are her lips―”

“Okay!” Chloe exclaimed before Eve could continue enumerating Ella’s praises any further. “Does anyone have any specific advice or reassurance for Dan?” She shot a look at Lucifer. “And no, Lucifer, no more comments on his outfits, please.”

“You don’t need to be scared, Dan,” Maze said, and for a split second he thought she might be giving him a normal pep talk. “If it makes you feel better, you can put me on speed dial and that way, if anyone tries to attack you during your date, you can just call me and I can fight them off for you.”

“Awww, sweetie! That’s so thoughtful,” Eve said, squeezing Maze’s hand and staring lovingly into her eyes. Dan was struck at how she seemed even _more_ lovesick than she had been with Lucifer, if that was even possible.

“Why would someone try to attack us during our date, Maze?” Dan asked, bewildered. Maze didn’t even act human, sometimes, he thought.

“Believe it or not, I think that was Maze’s effort at being encouraging,” Lucifer informed him. 

Dan groaned and rubbed his temples. “Does anyone, and I mean any one of you, have any helpful input to offer?”

“She likes girly drinks. Pina coladas. Buy her one of those,” Maze supplied.

* * *

Sometimes when he was driving alone, done with work for the day, the radio quiet, Dan talked to Charlotte. She was dead, of course, and he knew that. And he knew that probably, wherever she was, she wouldn’t hear him talking alone in his car. But he liked to think that she could anyway.

“I miss you, Charlotte,” he started, as he usually did. “I miss you extra today. But I did something, and maybe you’ll be mad but I like to think you’d be happy for me.” He paused, as if giving her a chance to respond. “Today I asked out Ella. I’ve wanted to for a while now, and I finally worked up the nerve. Maybe that’s weird, ‘cause, you know, you were friends with her. I cared about you a lot, and I still do, but you’re gone and I still have to live down here. And I like Ella a lot.”

He paused again, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel. “I guess I’m just nervous because my track record isn’t so good. I mean, my last two relationships ended in divorce and death, and our friends had spectacularly bad advice to offer about it all. But it’s nice to see how happy everyone’s ended up together. Lucifer and Chloe, Maze and Eve, Linda and Amenadiel. They’re all doing okay, and they’re in love, and I think I want that too.”

Dan looked up to the sky as he parked his car and got out. “I know you can’t give me your blessing, or anything. But I really hope this is okay with you, Charlotte.”

* * *

On Earth, Dan Espinoza ordered Ella Lopez a pina colada, her whole face lighting up as she realized he knew her favorite drink, and in Heaven, Charlotte Richards smiled.


End file.
